Three Amigos in the Grand Canyon

Well, what a whirlwind of a week it has been. Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Vegas, Death Valley, Mammoth Lakes...but I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. TWO people have asked me why I haven't posted in over a week. That's two more people than I thought might be following this blog regularly! Anyways, I digress...

I spent Friday night with great friends, the Cockrilles, in Colorado Springs in anticipation of an early morning on the way to DIA to pick up Andy and Gus (my 4th trip to Denver International Airport in 10 days!). It was 4th of July so Ms. Eva and I hiked up to the ridge above their house once it got dark and watched some fireworks, both amateur and professional, from around the Springs.

This was post-canyon backpack, but look at those shoes!

Andy was originally scheduled to land at 9:00 AM Mountain Time and Gus was scheduled to land at 9:55, but both of their flights saw changes and Gus ended up landing at 9:05 and Andy at 10:00. It was great to see both of them. It was nearly six years ago that the three of us (and Jimmy Gnecko) found out that not only would we be teammates but also roommates for our first year of college at the University of Akron. Grant Hall, baby! Just as evidence of our like-mindedness and similar tastes, Andy pointed out that all three of us were wearing the same pair of shoes at the airport. When I say "same pair" I mean same brand, model, generation number, AND color, and NO it was not planned. Seriously, it wasn't planned.

We piled into the 4runner and headed west and south, back towards Divide where we would stay for the first night before heading further west. We took the back way and drove along the S. Platte River for much of the way, eventually stopping in the metropolis of Deckers for lunch. Yes, you can get lunch in Deckers! The rest of the day included stocking up on food for the next few days at the grocery store, helping Steve move a few heavier items around at the house, driving around the old stomping grounds, and organizing everything for the kick-off of the trip the next morning. Right before dinner, we did a nice 3 mile run. Gus and Andy had yet to experience the effects of high altitude while running so it was a necessity to get a few miles in at 9300 ft elevation. Speaking of dinner, Kelli made some excellent Keenwah tacos and it gave us a chance to stock up on some hearty food in preparation for a few days in the Grand Canyon.

Pre-dinner at our first campsite: Kaibab Ntl. Forest

We got on the road the next morning (Sunday) just a little after 7:00 AM and began heading south-west towards the Grand Canyon. The initial plan was to first go to Flagstaff, AZ so we could get in a nice little run in one of the running meccas of the United States, but it was raining VERY heavily as we passed the turnoff for the east entrance of the Grand Canyon and coupled with the fact that the day was getting late, we decided to head straight for the Canyon and hit Flagstaff on the way out. We ended up running a couple miles on the rim of the Canyon as we searched out our trailhead at which we would start the next morning. We ended up camping just south of Grand Canyon Ntl. Park in the Kaibab Ntl. Forest. We made some dinner and then swiftly headed to bed.

Early morning light on canyon towers

We awoke around 4:15 and began packing up, organizing our backpacks, and heading towards the TH. We had to park about a half mile from the TH itself so the first 8-10 minutes of hiking were along the road. It was still dark enough that we had to use our headlamps when we arrived at the trail but the sky was beginning to get somewhat lighter and it wouldn't be long until we didn't need them anymore. The reports I found online about our route down the canyon, called the New Hance Trail, mentioned that it was the shortest trail from rim to floor and I believe it. I use the word "trail" loosely here as often it seemed like the trail was non-existent and we were simply following the path of least resistance. Over the first couple miles there were many spots where the trail dropped 2-4 feet and careful foot placement was necessary. It was thus within the first hour of the trek down the canyon that I realized my new "big hauler" pack was packed a little too much and I already started dreading the hike out. They always say if you have the room you will use it, and I guess they are right! But...such is life.

The trail continued to wind down the canyon and every time we took a second to look back at where we came, it was hard to believe that we had come from there. Looking up, it seemed like there was no possible path out of the seemingly vertical walls of the canyon. Even more amazing was the history behind the New Hance Trail. A man by the name of John Hance initially went to the Grand Canyon in the early 1880s for mining purposes but soon realized that tourism was the real hot bed. He then began taking people down the canyon on this particular trail on mules. Now, I know the Grand Canyon is famous for having a couple trails in which mule trips are feasible, but THIS particular trail did not seem feasible for a mule in the least.

A typical look at the canyon layers and the steeps from which we came. 

We finally made it down out of the steep part of the canyon and into the final stretch which follows a dry (usually) drainage to the Colorado River. We were treated with some spectacular view of the canyon as we made it near said drainage. It took longer than expected to reach the river from thee drainage than we expected, but on the way we saw some great rock formations, including a rock which had been naturally formed into the shape of the Greek letter "pi." Remember kids, math is everywhere!

Math is EVERYWHERE!

View from our campsite

We finally began to hear the river and before long it came into view: what a glorious sight it was! We found a nice spot to pitch the tents and were soon basking in the cool water of the Colorado River. After a short nap in a shaded area which ended up being infested with ants, we did a little exploring around our campsite and continued making frequent trips to the river to cool off: the 100+ degree temps of the canyon floor required as much. We headed to bed fairly in early in anticipation of some more extensive exploring of the canyon the next morning.

The night was filled with a lot of heat and a little bit of rain but we started the next morning in good spirits and ready to check out what the floor of the Grand Canyon had in store. We paralleled the river for a while until reaching a very large rock-slide which came down from the south wall of the canyon. As we scrambled up the large boulders and began gaining elevation we were treated with the best views of the canyon we had seen yet. We eventually spotted a nice little beach which housed some shade and we figured eventually we would make our way there. However, I was intrigued by the potential scramble up the rest of the rock-slide and continued up to the top, all the while watching rafts float by.

Getting ready to climb up the steep rock fall

Our new-found beach upriver

Good perspective on how steep the rock-fall was and how far up we made it

Getting accustomed to the cold water before the swim to the other beach 

Once we reached the beach we saw from the distance we chilled in the river for a while and eventually Andy and I decided to swim to another little beach across the "channel." Well, what an experience that turned out to be. The swim there was very uneventful considering it was WITH the current. We realized, however, that the swim back might be a little more challenging. My swim back was especially challenging considering I found a piece of driftwood I very badly wanted to keep. Very soon after we started "swimming" I realized that I was going nowhere. Any had made it a bit further than I but I decided to chuck the driftwood and go back to reassess. Andy saw that I had given up and headed back as well. A rafter and his nephew saw us as well ans was apparently concerned with out attempt to swim because he offered us a ride in the raft, and after I humbly turned him down, he continued to watch us to safety. I decided the best route back to the beach at which Gus was, wisely, still  occupying was to use the canyon wall as a guide. That ended up working and before we knew it we were safe and sound back at the original beach.

How's that swim into the current going? Answer: not that well!

Let's try the canyon wall instead

After a little nap and some more relaxation we decided to head back to our campsite which we estimated was just a bit over a mile away. I soon began contemplating our trip out of the canyon the next morning and we all agreed that a very early start was necessary so as to stay out of the sun and the heat. We continued to employ the river as a cooling off mechanism throughout the late afternoon and before too long we were cooking Mac 'n Cheese and not too long after that we were heading to bed. It was hot once again, but the clouds eventually opened up a bit and provided us with a little welcome rain which cooled things off considerably.

I was up a little before 4 AM and soon all three of us were packing tents, pumping water into every bottle we had, and lighting out for the journey back up the canyon wall. All of my backpacking experience has come in the mountains where, almost always, the end of the journey is coupled with going down. That obviously not the case in the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately my camera got some sand in it the day previously and therefore my ability to take pictures on the way out was stifled. We were taking the same route up we had taken down, however, so the scenery was the same. We started off at a good clip and would maintain that pace for most of the hike. Only once we did really question whether or not we were on the right trial, and at that point I jogged up the trail a quarter mile or so before I recognized a few landmarks and confirmed that we were, indeed, heading in the right direction. We traded off the lead often and that helped keep the pace honest. During the last mile, or so, of the climb out I was really starting to feel the weight of my pack and possibly my lack of caloric intake. Gus was able to provide me with a Vanilla Bean GU pack, however, and that little jolt of energy helped me substantially.

In the end our hike out of the canyon was significantly faster than our hike down to the floor. From campsite to car it was right around 7 miles and 4700 feet of elevation gain. It took us right around 5 hours on the way out and just under 6 hours on the way down. The fact that we were slower on the way down was partially due to stopping more often to make sure we were on the trail: at times no easy task. Even with that, though, I think all three of us kind of psyched ourselves up for the hike out and were pushing the whole time. The road was a welcome sight and the car even more so. During our time both on the trail and down on the floor of the canyon itself, we saw not a single person, other than those in rafts. The theme of following the path less traveled was alive and well on this leg of the trip.

From Grand Canyon Ntl. park we headed south and east and made a stop in Flagstaff. Flagstaff is considered one of the running meccas of America and we couldn't be so close and not stop for a run ourselves. After a 4 mile run in the pouring down rain, we dried off and headed to Diablo Burger for a nice meal and a little World Cup action. We still had a good 4-5 hours of driving ahead of us to get to Las Vegas so before too long we were on the road again.

We got into Vegas around 8:00 Pacific time. We had booked a night at Bally's Casino while in the car and after we checked in, we quickly headed for our room so each of us could take a shower. We had "bathed" in the Colorado River a few times while in the Canyon, but had not showered since Saturday and we stunk, to put it lightly. We each gambled 10 dollars or so and soon had our fill of that losing venture and before long we were sleeping like babies.

After an excellent breakfast buffet the next morning we were once again on the road. We drove through Death Valley and Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the United States at 282 feet below sea level. Fortunately it was cloudy in Death Valley they morning which kept some of the heat away; it was a balmy 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thanks. clouds!

Sea Level...way above us. 

Next stop was a nice campsite near Mammoth Lakes, CA. Once we reached the town of Mammoth Lakes we had another 1+ hour drive up an old 4wd Jeep road to a couple nice alpine lakes called Laurel Lakes. I think there were a couple passengers in the car who were doubting at times whether or not we would make it to the top of the road, but after a very slow, and sometimes bone-jarring ride up the mountain, we arrived at the beautiful Laurel Lakes. Our campsite was in a great spot and both that evening and the next morning we were able to explore around the lake.

Lower Laurel Lake

Andy with Upper Laurel Lake in the background

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Our view of Upper Laurel Lake as we began driving out

We stopped in Mammoth Lakes once we got down the mountain the next morning and ran a few miles. It is also a big spot for running among both amateurs and professionals and we decided we might as well keep our theme of running in all of these great spots. After our run we piled back in the car and began heading west, over the Sierras, through Yosemite, and onward to Joe and Chelsea's apartment near San Francisco. The drive through Yosemite was nice but we were very happy to get to their place and have a couple days to relax. When we arrived, Chelsea was beginning to prepare dinner for us (she's a keeper, Joe!) and Joe was just getting ready to head back from work.

We had a great meal of chicken, noodles, and broccoli and it was great to catch up with friends. The next day (yesterday) we spent much of the day in San Francisco itself and we even saw Dan Marino! We ate a great meal at a local joint called "Sauced" in the evening and then made our way to downtown Pleasanton for a beer and some more visiting. Joe and Chelsea have been marvelous hosts and I look forward to being part of their wedding this coming December!

McCoy, Andy, Gus and I all reunited. Lombard street in the background. 

Hey, Dan Marino! He's NOT the guy in the foreground. 

After the World Cup final today we are going to be on our way north. Andy's final destination of the trip will be Portland, OR, where he will fly out early (5:59) Tuesday morning. We're not really sure where we are going to stop between here and there, but sometimes that's the beauty of it. So, until next time...

Thanks, Joe and Chelsea! You guys are great.

Joe...have you been working out? ;)